Abstract: An inductive power transfer device is provided for recharging cordless appliances. The device includes a plurality of inductors arranged in an array and connected with a power supply via switches which are selectively operable to activate the respective inductors. The inductors serve as the primary coil of a transformer. The secondary coil of the transformer is arranged in the appliance. When the appliance is arranged proximate to the power transfer device with the respective coils in alignment, power is inductively transferred from the device to the appliance via the transformer.

Abstract: A volumetric, 3-D image is produced by moving a small number of 1-dimensional light arrays such that virtually all points of a desired volume have at least one light pass through them within the refresh time of the human eye. The motion of the lights consists of two simultaneous motion cycles that are substantially orthogonal to each other, with one being faster than the other. Proper control of the lights thus allows images to be produced within the volume. Each light element may be composed of a collection of smaller, directional lights, each pointed in a different direction. In such case, the lights may be controlled in a manner that permits each viewer of the volumetric image to only see a variant of that image properly hidden-line removed for his or her particular viewpoint. The display can thus produce volumetric images appearing appropriately hidden-line removed from multiple viewpoints simultaneously.

Abstract: A vehicle brake assembly is provided with a brake friction pad coated to produce a protective layer upon an associated rotor or like element (e.g., brake shoe). The inventive coating is applied as a surface treatment to the friction material of the brake pad, application of the coating in accordance with the inventive method may be performed immediately after manufacture of the brake pad or as an aftermarket performance enhancement for the brake assembly. Copper powder suspended in a resinous material such as a phenolic resin is the preferred material for the coating. The process for coating the brake pad is adaptable for use at a repair facility or auto parts supply store. The protective layer is formed upon the rotor transferring the coating by heat generated during application of the brake pad to the rotor to retard or arrest rotation thereof.

Abstract: An occupant position sensor utilizing either ultrasonic, microwave or optical technologies, or seatbelt spool out and seat position sensors, are used as inputs to the primary vehicle crash sensor circuit to permit the longest possible sensing time before the occupant gets proximate to the airbag and is in danger of being injured by the deploying airbag. The sensor further disables the inflatable restraint system if the occupant is in danger of being injured by the system deployment. Separate systems are used for the driver and passenger to permit the optimum decision to be made for each occupant.

Abstract: Arrangements and method for controlling a deployable occupant restraint device in vehicle, such as an airbag, in which a crash sensor determines whether deployment of the occupant restraint device is required as a result of the crash and an occupant position sensor determines the position of the occupant. Deployment of the occupant restraint device is controlled based on the determination by the crash sensor if deployment of the occupant restraint device is required and the position of the occupant. The position of the occupant is determined preferably by ascertaining the position of the seat or a part thereof, e.g., the seat portion or back portion, relative to a fixed point of reference to thereby enable an approximation of the position of the occupant to be obtained. The payout of a seatbelt from a seatbelt retractor can also be measured and used to better provide the actual position of the occupant.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for controlling a system in the vehicle based on one or more occupying items in which a portion of the passenger compartment in which the item is situated is irradiated, and reflected radiation from surfaces of the occupying item are received and processed in order to create one or more electronic signals characteristic of the occupying item based on the received radiation, each signal containing a pattern representative and characteristic of the occupying item and being categorized by utilizing pattern recognition system for recognizing and thus identifying the class of the occupying item. The pattern recognition system processing each signal into a categorization thereof based on data corresponding to patterns of received radiation stored within the pattern recognition system and associated with possible classes of occupying items of the vehicle. Thereafter, another system in the vehicle is affected based on the categorization of the signal(s).

Abstract: Method and apparatus for optimizing the comfort of the occupant in accordance with the invention in which the direction of a bothersome stimulus, such as an unwanted sound, external or internal of the vehicle, and an external light source, is determined, the location of the sensory organ of the occupant receptive to the stimulus, e.g., the ears of the occupant if the stimulus is an unwanted sound and the eyes of the occupant if the stimulus is an external light source, is determined and, responsive to the determined direction of the stimulus and the determined location of the sensory organ of the occupant receptive thereto, a countereffect to the stimulus is activated in order to diminish the effect of the stimulus on the sensory organ of the occupant. If the stimulus is the external light source, a light filter between the external light source and the eyes of the occupant may be activated.

Abstract: A crash sensor designed for arrangement in the crush zone of a motor vehicle, is operative to determine when and if a crash is severe enough to deploy a passive restraint system (i.e., air bag or seat belt tensioner) of the vehicle. The sensor is of the crush switch type and incorporates a flex action tape switch and is responsive to trigger the passive restraint system when the vehicle impact causes vehicle elements in the crush zone to deform as far back as the sensor position. The sensor operates on bending as well as compression and is designed to trigger on the relative motion of two adjacent parts of the vehicle in the crush zone. The sensor latches closed during the crash additionally permitting it to be used in series with a non-crush zone mounted discriminating sensor.

Abstract: The amplifier is a two-stage amplifier in which dispersion compensation and WDM channel equalization are carried out using a plurality of in-waveguide Bragg gratings placed between the two stages. The first stage has a gain able to raise the intensity of WDM optical communications signals to a high enough level that after dispersion compensation and equalization, the signals fed into the second stage nearly or substantially saturate the second stage amplifier. The noise figure signal-to-noise ratio is thereby of good quality since there are no significant losses at the signal input of the signal into the optical amplifier. Erbium-doped optically pumped fiber amplifiers are used for the two stages. An add/drop filter can be appended to the end of the conditioning Bragg gratings. Residual optical signal from the fiber Bragg grating may be used to optically pump another amplifier for amplifying longer wavelength optical signals.

Abstract: A liner dispenser for a waste container having a waste container floor and a waste container side wall with an upper rim, for removably securing to the waste container floor, includes a cylindrical and substantially rigid dispenser shell having a shell side wall, a shell top wall with a liner dispensing opening and a shell bottom wall which forms a lower corner with the shell side wall, and which is bowed outwardly to present a convex surface to abut the waste container floor and elevate the lower corner for ease of grasping with user finger tips during dispenser removal, and a device for removably securing the shell bottom wall to the waste container floor. The liner dispenser preferably additionally includes several interconnected waste container liners enclosed within the dispenser shell, each liner having a liner closed end and a liner open end.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for interconnecting computer peripherals with portable and desktop computers. More specifically, the present invention includes a system and method for simultaneously connecting multiple portable computer peripherals to a single portable computer interface slot, for connecting portable computer peripherals to a desktop computer, and for connecting a portable ZIP drive to a portable computer.

Abstract: Method and system for detecting the presence of the child seat on a seat in which information about contents of the seat is obtained and a signal is generated based on any contents of the seat, a different signal being generated for different contents of the seat when such contents are present on the seat. The signal is analyzed in order to determine whether the contents of the seat include a child seat, and in a preferred embodiment, a child seat in a rear-facing orientation. Another system within the vehicle may be affected or controlled based on the determination of whether a child seat is present on the seat. The analysis of the signal is preferably by pattern recognition techniques that can recognize and thus identify the contents of the seat.

Abstract: An improved vacuum exposure frame for use in making exposed aluminum printing or lithographic plates permits the use of unworked glass, preferably tempered glass, rather than polycarbonate plexiglass (which is easily scratched) of the prior art replacement of the transparent image-exposure-window material. The frame is routed on the lower aperture-facing portion of the exposure window, preferably by a 90.degree. routing having a horizontal face and a vertical face surrounding and defining the aperture underside. A preferred embodiment has a reverse depression preferably routed out of the horizontal face and a sealant-adhesive is inserted into the reverse depression and along the vertical face so as to secure the unworked glass to the frame. Separate ID windows with long lasting polycarbonate inserts are also in the frame where the main image exposure window aperture is shaped to contain preferably only the book pages to be exposed onto the aluminum plate.

Abstract: This invention is a system to identify and monitor contents and/or parts of the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle, such as an automobile or truck, by processing the signal received from the contents or parts using one or more techniques, including neural networks or other pattern recognition systems, and technologies including ultrasonic and electromagnetic radiation. The received signal may be a reflection of a transmitted signal, the reflection of some natural signal within the vehicle, or may be some signal emitted naturally by the object. Information obtained by the identification and monitoring system is then used to affect the operation of some other system in the vehicle such as the airbag, entertainment system, heating and air conditioning system, or the system to darken portions of the mirrors or windshield, among others.

Abstract: An air damped crash sensor including a thin planar hinged inertial sensing mass which rotates within a sealed housing with a small clearance between the edges of the mass and the walls of the housing so as to create a restriction to the flow of a gas from one side of the sensing mass to the other side as the sensing mass rotates in response to accelerations during a crash of an automobile. The flow of gas within the sealed housing is designed to be in the inertial regime such that the damping force on the mass is proportional to the velocity of the mass squared and thus affected by the gas density but not temperature.

Abstract: A headrest and headrest positioning system reduces whiplash injuries from rear impacts by properly positioning the headrest behind the occupant's head either continuously, or just prior to and in anticipation of, the vehicle impact and then properly supports both the head and neck. Sensors determine the location of the occupant's head and motors move the headrest both up and down and forward and back as needed. In one implementation, the headrest is continuously adjusted to maintain a proper orientation of the headrest to the rear of the occupant's head. In another implementation, an anticipatory crash, is used to predict that a rear impact is about to occur, in which event, the headrest is moved proximate to the occupant. A pre-inflated airbag within the headrest automatically distributes the pressure to evenly support both the head and neck.

Abstract: An occupant position sensor utilizing either ultrasonic, microwave or optical technologies, or seatbelt spool out and seat position sensors, are used as inputs to the primary vehicle crash sensor circuit to permit the longest possible sensing time before the occupant gets proximate to the airbag and is in danger of being injured by the deploying airbag. The sensor further disables the inflatable restraint system if the occupant is in danger of being injured by the system deployment. Separate systems are used for the driver and passenger to permit the optimum decision to be made for each occupant.

Abstract: The displacement sensor of this invention comprises a tube combined with a sonic transmitter and receiver. The tube acts as a waveguide for the sonic waves and a processor determines whether the tube has changed in length or has been constricted which, in either case, changes the pattern of sonic waves traveling from the transmitter to the receiver. In some applications, the transmitter and receiver are at different ends of the tube. In these cases, the attenuation in sound energy reaching the receiver, caused by the tube being squeezed at at least one point, is measured and the amount of cross action area reduction is determined. In other applications, the transmitter and receiver are at the same end of the tube and, in some of these cases, the transmitter and receiver are the same transducer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a high speed apparatus for stacking books received from a delivery conveyer and accounting for the books and the operation of the stacker as part of a manufacturing data and control system. The apparatus is formed of an input conveyer system, a stacking region, sets of forks for intercepting a predetermined number of the books to form a stack, mechanical apparatus such as pairs of chains for moving the sets of forks in and out of the common pathway stacking region, and a real-time control device for controlling the timing and movement along the substantially common pathway of the sets of forks. The forks are in substantially the same dimensions of vertical attitude and horizontal plane when within the stacking region when each stack is being formed and the sets of forks could theoretically overtake each other during a cycle since they are in the above-noted substantially common pathway.

Abstract: A thin plastic film is used to make the airbag of this invention. A preferred embodiment uses multiple thin film airbags which are inflated and confined to act together through the use of a surrounding net. In another embodiment, multiple layers of anisotropic film are joined together to form an airbag which is resistant to tearing. The inflator, which is typically of the aspirated type, fills the airbags through a manifold in a controlled sequence until each bag is filled to a specific pressure indicative of either being fully inflated or of interaction with an occupant.